For this week, I wanted to spotlight two mixes friends I don’t get to see very often released in the last couple of days. These two are interesting ghost talents in their respective cities, and I couldn’t choose between them, so you’re getting them both. Don’t ever say I don’t give you things. First up is Existential Frequencies by D:[JR]. He’s one of the most technically skilled & thoughtful DJs I’ve ever encountered. The first time I saw him spin live, it was the kind of night that involved watching very fucked up people attempt to fix a gas leak. All things were ok, and he spun a set I’ll never forget. This one is ridiculously well mixed, with seamless transitions & track choices that make me go and spend many dollary doos on things from his track list. It’s soothing, if not a bit dark. I’ve always thought that this guy was just as competent of a selectro as most of the talent working in NYC. He’s got a dope day job and living the life, so I can’t blame him for not showing up on more billings. This is another understated talent here that keeps me grooving as much as I would in the lounges & bars I orbit. The mix is uptempo but takes its time getting there. It’s almost as if he’s not trying to impress anyone, and just building for the listener who is in it for the long hall. An admiral goal, and one that he pulls off. It’s the slow builds that do it for me in this kind of house, and he doesn’t disappoint. It stays techy, but has spasms of soul & funk that are most welcome. Great work by the former president.
Tag Archives: soundcloud
Midnight Music: Nosaj Thing – Cold Stares ft. Chance The Rapper
This is future y’all. Chance The Rapper hooked up with Nosaj Thing to make something moody gorgeous. Is Proto Blues a genre? Chance leads the lilting & blues-infused bass work through with his usual flair for the excellent yet understated. “Smeagol to Gollum” is my favorite line for 2015. This kind of rhyming seems so much more free, almost like the way it sounded like a while ago. This taste of Nosaj’s (or is it Mr. Thing?) new album, dropping May 5, 2015 gives me a lot of hope for the stuff coming out this year. Hopefully he’ll come back to Web Hall & make a crazy night of it. (off Innovative Leisure / Timetable Records)
Hometown Fire: Wavewhore – Breaks Wizard
Wavewhore put this in my face, and I really couldn’t be happier he did. This is exactly what I needed my breaks to sound like. While people think the genre can’t keep up, I know Vitamin B proves that incorrectly multiple times a year. Wavewhore’s set at VitB proved that this guy knew what he was doing, so when I got this EP in my inbox, I couldn’t be more pleased. The EP is out as of yesterday, and is a duo of dope breaks tracks. You Got It is super well produced, yet quietly all about what makes the genre classically great. Powerful uses a supremely powerful sample and never oversteps its boundaries. Wavewhore makes for a nice little build and break keeping the energy up the entire way through. Get it on Beatport here if you need this for your sets.
If you need him in a little longer format, here’s a mix he did for Birmingham Mountain Radio. Besides that being one of the best names for a radio station I’ve ever heard, the mix is exactly what you need in your life. Here’s to hoping once people get bored of tropical, breaks gets its time in the sun.
He’s got one more surprise for us, a free DL that dropped last week. A heavy rework of Feel That Ammunition by Farace, so now, you’ve got a new EP, a free DL & a mix to keep you satisfied. If you want more, you’ll have to show his social medias some love. Them’s the breaks!
Earworm Of The Month: Si Genaro – When The Last Bird Flies – CLSM Remix [Massive Drum & Bass]
This has been on repeat since I found it at the beginning of March. I’m not entirely sure I’ve ever heard a drum & bass track with this kind of lead time & warning-less drop before. CLSM has been in the scene for a minute now, but I couldn’t recognize the original track or the vocalist. This Si Genaro remix is exquisite and deserves to be nominated for the “Best Amen Break Usage” award. Hey Drum & Bass Awards, if that’s not one yet, get on the stick. It doesn’t seem like it’ll be worth giving it the time that it needs to get where it’s going, but trust me on this one. If there’s any song you need to get to the halfway point on, it’s this one. Especially if you got a flat tire, found out your girl is cheating, or your boss asked you to come in this weekend. Drum & Bass Rising.
Midnight Music: Anneliese – Singed Spots [Soulful Indie]
This is a wonderful surprise. Anneliese was sent to me by one of my contacts in VA. I’m really happy he did. Her EP is a great offering from some fresh talent down south & this track is a highlight off the EP. The choices when it comes to the pacing, synth work & a no-nonsense attitude work perfectly. The German native that’s landed in VA seems to have picked up exactly what she needs to. The lyrical work is sophisticated ,but she still has chops where she needs them. Anneliese is already punching above her weight class. Show her some love and tell her Terry sent you.
Music I’d Forgotten About: Metric – Twilight Galaxy (Gladkill Remix)
With Gladkill on a new release tear on Soundcloud, I wanted to bring it back to one of my absolute favorite pieces by the West Coast star. His Twilight Galaxy remix was a large part of my 2011, and I was reminded of it recently, which sent me into a week or two of listening to it on repeat again as well. This is one of those tracks that crawls into your mind and forces you to listen to it on multiple different speaker systems/headphones over the course of your day. This is lovestep in the truest sense of the word and Gladkill does that stuff better than most. Call it a throwback, even though he hasn’t quit since. He just released a new LP of his tracks from 2012-2014, so hit that up if you need more.
Midnight Music: Hostage – Bully [Vintage House]
This is a wonderful surprise. Nite Records got in touch with me about this dope little joint. Hostage busts into my universe with a soulful, almost 90’s house vibe that got my attention immediately. The feel is one you’d expect at a trendy but tiny bar downtown near Ludlow or Delancey. 100 seconds in, you’ve got this seriously classic piano riff that house DJs need to study. The pacing is exactly where it needs to be, so this can & should go into any self-respecting uptempo house DJ’s USB stick ASAP. Seems to be a good transition & one when fashionably dressed people start sauntering across your dance floor. It’s part of their history and is infused in so much of a house dancer’s muscle memory. At least, if you were an East Coast house head that is. Can’t generalize too much. But it’s a great part of this two-piece from Nite Records, so get at both Hostage & the label.
Mix Of The Weekend: The Rev – Lovely Daze [Deep, Soulful House]
I had the chance to hang out with this DJ for a couple of days back when he lived in Amsterdam. One of the most humble & quietly talented DJs I’ve ever met, he’s done us all a favor, and posted his latest from his new home base out on the Best Coast. The Rev was one of the beat wizards at the loft warehouse I cut my teeth on in NYC way back in the 00’s. This set features some of the vibes, groovy tempos, soulful selectro work and a classic attitude that a lot of house dance floors have forgotten as of late. I could listen to this stuff for hours, like, if they could pipe it into my job, I’d probably be 30-40% more productive. But enough of me yapping, take this Sunday that’s hopefully brightening for you, and let this mix wrap around it for you. Show my man some love so he makes another one soon.
Midnight Music: M83 – Midnight City (SAINT WKND Remix)
M83 is one of the most important groups in recent memory way too many EDM fans have never heard of. SAINT WKND comes through with a future bass remix of M83’s triumph Midnight City. It’s a synthetic masterpiece. The track positions SAINT WKND in a realm that only a few artists, such as MitiS, Just A Gent, & a few others have gotten to when it comes to this kind of position. This means you need to check out his mix here and start keeping your ear out for when this one starts getting booked. Because with remix chops like this, it’s just a matter of time for this German upstart.
Midnight Music: Mr. Big – To Be With You (Mark Chill Remix) [Retro Tropical]
Mark Chill is just in time for the Northern Hemisphere Spring. Is Tropical Trap a genre yet, because that ridiculous bed squeak sample shows up for a minute. There’s a lot of great parts to this track, and I could honestly use quite a bit more of that sing-along retro style of the remix. This kind of 80’s/90’s vibe is due in for a lot of festival moments especially with it being essentially vintage at this point. While tropical may have its clock ticking, this is something that may ride the wave out nicely down under. Let the Aussie summer never end! (via Stoney Roads)
Terry Gotham 